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Previously on Hidden Fragments…

Calen and the sailor Alaric set out aboard the Emberwake in search of the legendary island of Lumenreach, where the lost Scroll of Genesis may be hidden. Though fog, shallow waters, and dangerous rocks nearly forced them to turn back, the retreating tide revealed the island at last. Determined to complete his mission, Calen resolved to swim the remaining distance and retrieve the precious Scroll.

Meanwhile, Vorren descended into a deep pit to rescue young Tobin, who had survived a terrible fall with only a sprained ankle. While searching for a way out, Vorren discovered a hidden network of tunnels beneath the earth and stumbled upon a breathtaking underground lake illuminated by a mysterious glow, and what appeared to be a possible escape route.

Chapter 45

Through the Depths 

Calen dropped his cloak onto the floorboards of the Emberwake, while Alaric rummaged around and pulled out a coil of rope.

“Not nearly long enough,” Alaric muttered as he inspected it. “It won’t even reach halfway.”

“Tie it around my waist anyway,” Calen said. “Maybe the journey won’t be as dangerous as we think. I might be able to swim or even wade the rest of the way.”

“And what about the rope?” Alaric asked.

Calen shrugged. “I’ll tie it around a rock somewhere. Then it’s there and you can pull me back if things go wrong.”

Alaric snorted softly. “Madness. Absolute madness.” He shook his head. “And how exactly do you plan to keep the Scroll dry, assuming it’s even there?”

Calen almost smiled. “Think about it. Do you really believe Magdalena’s husband hid a precious Scroll on a strip of rock that floods half the day, without protecting it somehow?”

Alaric paused.

Then he gave a reluctant nod.

“Fair point,” he admitted.

After Alaric had tied the rope around Calen’s waist, the two men stared into each other’s eyes. Alaric bit his lower lip. “Still think it’s madness,” he said, “but I give you this, Calen… you are a courageous man and I am glad I’ve met you.”

Calen chuckled. “Thanks. It sounds like you think I may not make it back but rest assured, I’ve got too much at stake to say goodbye to this world right now. Just pray for me.”

“I will,” Alaric said.

After these words Calen hoisted himself up on the railing of the sloop and lowered himself into the water. Much colder than he had expected. First his feet, then his legs. He paused for a moment, trying to get used to the water, but then he let himself go and disappeared into the depth.

For a moment he was completely covered. The cold penetrated every part of his body, and he felt his lungs protesting. So cold. And it wasn’t even winter.

A second later his head appeared again above water, grasping for breath.

“Are you all right?” Alaric asked in concern.

“It’s not so bad,” Calen lied through chattering teeth. “It’s deep though. G-Glad I got the rope.” Without saying more, he turned and began to swim toward Lumenreach. 

After a few minutes the cold did not seem to bother him that much anymore and he relaxed. A sense of victory rose. He would make it. The current Alaric had warned him about was not nearly as strong as they feared and before long, he reached the spot where the rope ended. 

This was it.

From now on, he would be truly alone. 

Alone, and yet in the arms of the Father. The sea seemed bigger all of a sudden. Wider and more dangerous, but that was nonsense of course. He would just keep going. 

Close by, a piece of rock stuck out and Calen swam to it. It was a good place to tie the rope here, so he could use it again on his way back. 

Please God, will you go with me? He thought of a Psalm he had copied. The one about the still waters and the valley of the shadow of death. God would be with him. 

How in the world had Magdalena’s husband done all this? He must have been very desperate, to seek such a faraway and dangerous hiding place… 

A dark shadow flashed by. 

Had he truly understood the song? Maybe he was completely wrong and Alaric was right. Swimming out here in the ocean was complete madness and there wasn’t any Scroll on that strange shifting piece of land. 

A pang of doubt, colder than the water, pierced him. He tightened his jaw. He had come this far and he should not doubt what God had shown him. As he reached the rock, relief washed over him. Here, he could stand. A moment to catch his breath. 

He untied his rope and tied it around the jagged rock. 

Looking back, he saw Alaric standing near the bow, eying him intensely. From here it looked a lot further. Lonelier too.

He waved.

Alaric waved back. 

He turned and looked at Lumenreach again. How far from here? 

It didn’t look too far anymore. Perhaps no more than twenty yards. The current did seem stronger here. 

It didn’t matter. He just had to keep going and he began the last stretch. 

The water climbed to his waist, then higher still, pressing against his chest… yet he kept walking. 

O, glory… he could wade all the way. His heart soared. Cold and unpleasant, yes… but there was solid ground beneath his feet.

Apparently, the rock stretched onward toward Lumenreach in a jagged line.

“I can walk here,” he shouted back to let Alaric know all was well, but the sailor showed no reaction. Perhaps the distance was too far and the noise of the sea too loud.

As he slowly moved forward, carefully placing his feet on sturdy ground, something inside him began to sing. He almost smiled though he stayed cautious. He wasn’t there yet.

Keep going.

Step by step.

At last, he reached Lumenreach. The rock felt slimy with algae. He would have to be careful not to slip. As he pulled himself up out of the water a strange silence settled over him. From here, the sea sounded strangely distant. The wind however was fierce, and he shivered. Hardly surprising, since he was soaked to the bone.

The same seagulls that had surrounded them earlier greeted him with harsh cries and landed on the far end of the rocky island where a half-rotted tree trunk jutted from the rocks. At one time there had been vegetation here. 

He stared at the island in wonder. It was far larger than he had expected. Magdalena’s husband had given the place an impressive name, but Calen had still imagined little more than a smooth strip of rock rising from the sea. Instead, Lumenreach stretched wide before him like a forgotten piece of the world.

Empty and bare.

Forlorn and windswept.

But where should he begin?

There was no sign of anything precious hidden here. No marker. No clue.

As he stood there uncertainly, the two seagulls circled once more above his head, screeching loudly. Then they glided back toward the sea, skimming low over the waves before returning to the island, where they landed upon the rotten tree trunk once again.

Calen pained his memory. Was there anything in Jonathan’s song that he had overlooked?

He hummed the song while listening to the words again. When he came to the third couplet a shiver coursed through his body.

Beneath the wood long claimed by rot,
The First awaits, though men may see it not.
Seagulls point the way to heaven’s light,
The door to eternal might.

His eyes fell on the half-rotten trunk and the two seagulls perched upon it. They cried loudly, as though warning him he was an intruder who did not belong here. This island was their kingdom, and they had no intention of surrendering it.

Wood long claimed by rot?

Where seagulls point the way?

That part of the song had not made any sense. But now, standing on Lumenreach with the crying seagulls above him and the half-rotten trunk before him, the strange words finally made sense.

Could it be?

His breath stopped in his throat as he slowly walked toward the tree, ignoring the loud protests of the seagulls. 

***

“What do we do?” Isola asked, her voice thin and desperate. 

It sounded like she was about to give up hope, but what else could they do but wait? 

“We’ve been here for over two hours,” she wailed. “Still no sign of Vorren or Tobin.”

Marisa shifted to her other foot. “We wait,” she replied firmly. “We really have no other choice.”

“We must do something,” Isola fired back. “We can’t just sit here. Vorren must have fallen in and Tobin… he could be…” She did not want to finish her sentence. 

“Waiting in prayer is doing something,” Marisa said in gentle tones. “What if Vorren suddenly climbs back up and says he needs help, but we are not here anymore?”

Isola’s lip began to tremble. As Marisa had feared, it was becoming too much for her. The color drained from her face, and her eyes filled with a desperate panic she could no longer hide. Fear, as always, was the true enemy; one that could shake even the most faithful of hearts.

“I am done waiting in prayer,” Isola burst out, her voice high and unsteady as tears spilled down her cheeks. “I am going in myself.”

“Please, don’t think like that,” Grandfather said. “It’s far too dangerous.”

But Isola had already taken several steps toward the gaping hole. She leaned forward and peered once more into the darkness below.

For a moment, Marisa feared she truly meant to follow Vorren into the depths. “I can’t let you do that, Isola,” she said softly, forcing calm into her voice.

At that, Isola hesitated.

The darkness below seemed to reach back at her. Her courage broke. With a sob, she stepped away from the edge, shaking her head as she turned from the abyss and slowly sank down into the grass. She covered her face as her tears now ran freely.

At that very moment Pax began barking wildly and ran away from the pit.

Something rustled in the undergrowth.

Leaves trembled.

Branches were pushed aside.

Then suddenly Vorren emerged from the bushes, exhausted but triumphant, with a grinning Tobin sitting on his shoulders.

“Vorren!” Marisa cried out.

“Tobin!” Isola shouted joyfully as she jumped back to her feet and ran toward them.

Pax leapt excitedly around the two of them, barking and spinning in circles in his usual enthusiastic manner.

“Easy now,” Vorren said with a tired grin. “I’m still standing somehow.”

He stopped near the pit and carefully lowered himself to one knee so Isola could lift Tobin down from his shoulders.

“Careful,” Vorren said. “He sprained his ankle.”

“And it hurts really bad,” Tobin added at once.

“Oh, my poor boy,” Isola wept as she pulled him into her arms. “What happened to you? I was so worried. You must promise me never to run off like that again.”

“My ankle hurts really bad, Mama,” Tobin said. “But I wasn’t scared. Nothing bad happened. God protected me.” 

Marisa walked over to Isola and Tobin and took them both in a warm embrace. “God didn’t fail us, Isola. I am so glad.”

Grandfather stared in awe at Vorren who plopped himself down on the grass and stretched himself out exhausted, without saying another word.

For a while nobody spoke.

Isola sat down too, her arms tight around Tobin who stared wide-eyed at his swollen ankle.

The only sound now was the rustling of the wind through the trees. To Marisa, it felt like a balm, carrying their fears away.

Grandfather cleared his throat and in a dry voice he turned to Vorren. “You did remarkably well, son. I couldn’t have done better myself.”

Marisa laughed. Grandfather’s words eased the tension that still clung to her. The thought of Grandfather lowering himself into that pit with his stiff old legs was almost enough to make her burst out laughing altogether. Yet she understood what he meant. Grandfather would have done whatever was necessary.

“How did you get out?” Marisa asked eagerly.

Vorren looked up and his eyes shone with excitement.

“There’s an entire network of tunnels and passages down there,” he said. “And there was a lake too unlike anything I’ve ever seen.”

“A lake?” Marisa asked.

“Yes. A beautiful, silent lake with a strange glowing shimmer upon the water.” He hesitated briefly. “It almost felt holy. Strange thing is, I don’t think the Council even knows it’s there.”

He looked back toward the cave. “You could hide a village down there.”

Marisa’s eyes brightened.

“Perhaps. Not a bad place for someone like you to hide either if necessary. It must be the same lake Calen talked about.”

“Calen was there?” Vorren shifted awkwardly. “What did he do there?” he asked.

Marisa smiled. “I’ll tell you at home. It’s a long story, but first I think we need to get back.”

She glanced toward the path back through the forest. “It’s getting late, and we still have a long walk ahead of us.”

***

That night, Marisa found it hard to fall asleep.

She was tired, yet her mind would not settle. She sat in Grandfather’s living room, and stared through the window into the vast night sky.

Ronan slept in his little corner, and Vorren in his. Their breathing rose and fell in slow, steady rhythm, soft enough not to disturb the silence she longed for.

The moon shone brightly, and countless stars were scattered across the heavens. She loved nights like this.

In the past, at such times, she had often sat outside on the small bench behind the cottage, listening to the overwhelming stillness of the night. In moments like these it felt as though God was so close, she could almost touch Him. Here, in Grandfather’s safe little cottage, it seemed like nothing and no one could disturb the sacred silence. Even the distant call of a lone night bird in the forest only deepened her awareness of God’s quiet presence. What a wonder it was to live with the Creator of life and to know Him intimately.

If only the whole world would come to know Him.

Vorren was close.

Marisa could see in him a deep longing for the safety and peace God was offering. Even though he had not yet fully surrendered his pride, she was certain God would not let Vorren remain far from Him. God’s arms were open wide. But the proud soldier carried wounds deeper than he admitted. It was not easy for Vorren to cast off the mindset of a cruel soldier and step into the dark unknown of faith, trusting in something he could neither explain nor fully understand.

“Faith is like that hole you climbed into,” Grandfather had said during dinner. “It looks dark and uncertain but if you trust it, you come out in a place so beautiful it cannot be put into words.”

“Like the lake I found today?” Vorren had asked.

Grandfather had nodded, though he had never seen the lake himself. Marisa had added, “Yes, Vorren. God’s waters are without end, full of strength and life. His Word is like water to swim in. It is rich and renewing.”

Vorren pondered her answer. “I will think about it,” he said. Then, perhaps to change the subject, he had asked for another piece of Stiff-Jointed Berry Pie, Grandfather’s special. After that, they had spoken of other things. 

Grandfather was now fully convinced about Vorren. His earlier doubts about the soldier had faded completely. He had even asked him, very humbly, if the soldier would consider staying on the farm to help.

“Men like you are not easily found,” he had said. 

Vorren looked relieved and immediately replied. “I would be very glad to stay.” 

Then, in a lower voice, so Bram couldn’t hear, Grandfather added, “And perhaps you can help Bram as well. I honestly don’t know what to do with that boy anymore.”

 Vorren had glanced at Bram, who was slouched in his chair on the other end of the table, already working through his third slice of Stiff-Jointed Berry Pie and licking his fingers with greedy enthusiasm. Vorren said nothing more, but he gave Grandfather a small nod. His meaning was clear: Leave him to me. We handled boys like that in the army.

That problem was settled then.

Now Marisa could leave for the hermit to deliver the Scroll of Jude… and find Calen. He was there too… at least, so she hoped.

How she longed to see his warm, familiar face again. When they had been together, she had not fully realized how deeply she cared for him. She had seen him as someone young in the faith, someone she needed to guide and teach. But in truth, if she was honest with herself, her feelings had grown far beyond that. Distance often reveals what the heart has already chosen.

Would he feel the same?

She hardly dared to think it.

But soon, she would know. Tomorrow she would take off for the mountains and visit the hermit. She had asked Ronan to travel with her.

Ronan was strong and brave and she did not dare travel alone through dangerous terrain. But when she had told him their route, she had seen hesitation flicker in his eyes.

“I… I’ll go where you go, Marisa,” he had said carefully. “But that road passes…” His voice had dropped. “…the Bridge of Echoes. I nearly died there.”

“God is with us, Ronan,” she had assured him. “You are not the same man you were then. And even then, He brought you through that time as well, didn’t He?”

He had nodded like a soldier receiving orders, but Marisa could see he did not look forward to crossing that place again.

Still, that was for later. For now, they were here, and it would all be well. God cared for them all. The future shone with His promises. There was nothing to fear, or… was there?

Her eyelids grew heavy.

She looked once more out of the window, then let sleep gently take her.

____

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